1. Lisa Mascaro previously covered Congress in Washington, D.C., for the Los Angeles Times. She left in February 2018. A Los Angeles-area native, she has reported across Southern California, edited, traveled the States and worked in Texas. While the Washington correspondent for the Las Vegas Sun, she contributed as the paper won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. An economics and political science graduate of UC Santa Barbara, she also studied in Budapest, Hungary.

The following are excerpts from Lisa Mascaro's October 24, 2017 article headlined "In stunning rebuke of Trump, two GOP senators accuse him of undermining American values".

(Begin excerpts)
President Trump on Tuesday endured one of the most searing rebukes of a chief executive by members of his own party in modern history, with one Republican senator accusing him of “debasing” the nation and another declaring he would rather retire than be “complicit” in the “compromise of our moral authority.”

Senate Republicans had hoped a Tuesday lunch with Trump would showcase GOP unity as they push for tax cuts. But the meeting was largely lost amid Trump’s remarkable war of words with Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the announcement by Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake that he would not run for reelection because he refuses to accommodate the “new normal” of the president’s behavior.

The successive attacks, one before senators even sat down for lunch and the other afterward, showed once again how the president’s unpredictable outbursts and willingness to belittle his allies not only distracts from the administration’s policy agenda, but also threatens to undercut Trump’s image at home and abroad.

“The debasement of our nation will be what he’ll be remembered most for, and that’s regretful,” Corker told CNN.

Flake lamented the “reckless, outrageous and undignified” behavior emanating from the “top of our government.”

Presidents have never been immune to criticism from their own party in Congress. But the stinging words from Flake and Corker ricocheted even in a Washington that has grown accustomed to escalating spats since Trump took office.

“This is different in the type of very fierce and pointed personal language [Corker] is using — calling him a liar and child — and the way, via Twitter and cable — this carried out on a national stage instantly,” said Julian E. Zelizer, a Princeton professor of history and public policy who writes extensively about Congress and the White House.

Corker, once considered to be Trump’s secretary of State, questioned the president’s honesty and expressed regret for supporting his candidacy, saying he would never do so again.

Flake, who was facing a tough reelection and a primary challenger backed by Trump’s former advisor Stephen K. Bannon, took to the Senate floor and said, “I rise today to say: enough.”

His commitment to American values, he said, overrode his party loyalty.

“The notion that one should stay silent as the norms and values that keep America strong are undermined, and as the alliances and agreements that ensure the stability of the entire world are routinely threatened by the level of thought that goes into 140 characters — the notion that we should say or do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavior is historic and, I believe, profoundly misguided,” Flake said. “We must stop pretending.”...

But the political fallout could do lasting damage to the uneasy relationship between the president and GOP-led Congress, one that has never quite settled into dependable partnership.

The day started, as it often does, with a presidential tweet. Apparently miffed by Corker’s dismissal, during a morning TV show interview, of Trump’s Senate lunch as a “photo op,” Trump lashed out at his onetime ally, who has since become one of the president’s most outspoken critics.

Trump tweeted that Corker “couldn’t get elected dog catcher,” and repeated a claim, disputed by Corker, that the senator begged for his endorsement before Corker announced he would not seek reelection. Corker says that, in fact, the opposite is true and that Trump promised his support in multiple conversations.

But it didn’t end there. Corker, in a hallway interview back in the Senate, unleashed some of his darkest concerns about Trump’s presidency.

Corker said he has tried to work with Trump, in private talks and counsel, but could go no further. "I think that he's proven himself unable to rise to the occasion,” Corker told CNN. He said “world leaders are very aware that much of what he says is untrue.”... (End excerpts)

Some Members here (mostly former ones) seem to fall for FAKE news stories.

Reedak here seems to fall for them,

LET’S GET CRITICAL: 4 TIPS FOR EVALUATING NEWS

1. Vet the publisher’s credibility.

Would the publishing site meet academic citation standards?Just because a site is popular among your friends does not mean its content is accurate.

What is the domain name? Be wary of unusual top-level domain names, like “.com.co.” A second-level domain like “abcnews” may appear credible. But note that abcnews.com.co is a different and illegitimate site, though designed to appear similar to the original.

What’s the publication’s point of view? Read the “About Us” section for more insight into the publisher, leadership, and mission statement. Also, confirm that you have not stumbled upon a satirical news site, like the Onion.

Who is the author? Has he or she published anything else? Be suspicious if the byline, which names the author, is a celebrity writing for a little-known site or if the author’s contact information is a G-mail address.

2. Pay attention to quality and timeliness.

Do you notice splling erors [sic], lots of ALL CAPS, or dramatic punctuation?!?!?! If so, abort your reading mission. Reputable sources have high proofreading and grammatical standards.

Is the story current or recycled? Make sure an older story isn’t being taken out of context.

3. Check the sources and citations.

How did you find the article? If the content showed up in your social media feed or was promoted on a website known for clickbait, proceed with caution. Even if the information was shared by a friend, be sure to follow the steps below to vet the publisher’s credibility.

Who is (or is not) quoted, and what do they say? If you notice a glaring lack of quotes and contributing sources, particularly on a complex issue, then something is amiss. Credible journalism is fed by fact-gathering, so a lack of research likely means a lack of fact-based information.

Is the information available on other sites? If not, then it’s very likely that the journalistic jury is still out on whether this information is valid. Library databases are a great resources for confirming the credibility of information—check out Harvard Library's list of public resources.

Can you perform reverse searches for sources and images? By checking cited sources, you can confirm that the information has been accurately applied and not altered to meet the author’s point of view. The same goes for images. In an era of Photoshop magic, you can’t always believe what you see.

2. Like a cuckoo chick that destroys its host eggs or evicts the host chicks from the nest, Trump attacked his Republican rivals mercilessly during the 2016 election campaigns. For instance, Trump accused Rubio of "living beyond his means and being a 'disaster' with credit cards".

In response, Rubio said "he finds it 'ironic' that Trump attacks his finances when the billionaire's companies have been involved in four bankruptcies over the years".

"I find it ironic that Donald Trump has had four bankruptcies in his businesses and who is he to attack anybody on finances? I just find that ironic," said Rubio.

2. Like a cuckoo chick that destroys its host eggs or evicts the host chicks from the nest, Trump attacked his Republican rivals mercilessly during the 2016 election campaigns. For instance, Trump accused Rubio of "living beyond his means and being a 'disaster' with credit cards".

In response, Rubio said "he finds it 'ironic' that Trump attacks his finances when the billionaire's companies have been involved in four bankruptcies over the years".

"I find it ironic that Donald Trump has had four bankruptcies in his businesses and who is he to attack anybody on finances? I just find that ironic," said Rubio.

Yes, you are absolutely right. You make a good private investigator. As time goes on, you will discover that our great friend has hidden not a skeleton but many socks in the closet.

Sometime ago I found his face was quite swollen (perhaps from infections due to too many face transplants?) Later, I discovered the cause: His face was struck by lightning! Now he is hiding in his car to avoid another lightning strike. That is why he named it "Red Thunderbird". However, his bird can never take off. It is forever running on the ground like a red ostrich.

You had better take out a pair of old stinking socks from your closet and wear them if you don't wear any shoes when you pay homage to your idol or great cult leader, otherwise he will award you the highest national honour by personally massaging your bare feet with fiery chili pepper sauce.

You had better take out a pair of old stinking socks from your closet and wear them if you don't wear any shoes when you pay homage to your idol or great cult leader, otherwise he will award you the highest national honour by personally massaging your bare feet with fiery chili pepper sauce.

My dearest best friend, don’t gape at me and point your finger at me with your old animation. Just look at the case of a 52-year-old man brought to trial and convicted of bludgeoning, raping and stabbing a 57-year-old legal secretary thirty-six years after the crime, that is, when he was 15 at the time of the murder.

Whether you are one of the most-wanted Nazi war criminals or just an ordinary criminal committing a common crime, whatever crimes you have committed, even during your childhood, will return to haunt you even if you are at the moment of taking your last breath on earth.

Whether you are at the lowest rung (e.g. a road sweeper) or at the highest rung of the social ladder (e.g. the head of state), whatever crimes you have committed since your birth will be judged in hell if not on earth.

P.S. However old a criminal, whether 72 or 93 or 100 years or even older, he still have to answer for his crimes committed once upon a time. Please ask your beloved idol or cult leader.

My dearest best friend, don’t gape at me and point your finger at me with your old animation. Just look at the case of a 52-year-old man brought to trial and convicted of bludgeoning, raping and stabbing a 57-year-old legal secretary thirty-six years after the crime, that is, when he was 15 at the time of the murder.

Whether you are one of the most-wanted Nazi war criminals or just an ordinary criminal committing a common crime, whatever crimes you have committed, even during your childhood, will return to haunt you even if you are at the moment of taking your last breath on earth.

Whether you are at the lowest rung (e.g. a road sweeper) or at the highest rung of the social ladder (e.g. the head of state), whatever crimes you have committed since your birth will be judged in hell if not on earth.

P.S. However old a criminal, whether 72 or 93 or 100 years or even older, he still have to answer for his crimes committed once upon a time. Please ask your beloved idol or cult leader.

3. To narcissistic Trump, whether you parrot him or call him a moron, he will never miss a chance to have a dig at you, as shown in the following article by Daniel Bates on 4 June 2018 in reference to Kate Anderson Brower's book.

(Begin excerpts)
Donald Trump mocks Mike Pence's piety behind his back while the Vice President thinks his boss reminds him of his abusive father, a new book reveals.

The book lifts the lid on the relationship between Trump and Pence and reveals the President asks visitors to the West Wing: 'Did Mike make you pray?

....Pence is known as 'on message Mike' because he parrots what the President says so much - but the respect only flows one way.

Trump never misses a chance to have a dig at anyone and Pence is no exception, the book says.

As well as mocking Pence's faith, Trump once sarcastically suggested he was his servant during a meeting in the Situation Room....

Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon said that this was Trump's way of making 'Pence know who's boss'.

Such is the level of mockery by the President that one of Pence's friend's said she would not be surprised if Trump had nicknamed Pence 'the deacon'.

The claims in the book are not the only time that Trump has ridiculed Pence and once reportedly joked that he 'wanted to hang all gay people'.

The President is said to have made the joke in October to a legal scholar during a White House discussion on gay rights.

....knowing that Trump liked to be flattered, Pence told the press that the future President had 'beat me like a drum' on the links.... (End excerpts)

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